Re: [linuxdc-dev] VMU filesystem question

[M. R. B. <mr...@0x...>]

* M. R. Brown <mr...@0x...> on Sun, Dec 08, 2002:

> * Callum Lerwick <se...@ha...> on Sun, Dec 08, 2002:
>=20
> >=20
> > You copy the entire directory tree.
> >=20
>=20
> Reread Adrian's post.  The data he is talking about can't be "copied"
> outside of the vmufs driver.  There is no way to persist custom data in t=
he
> Linux VFS without making all other filesystems understand that informatio=
n.
>=20

Let me clarify.  Even if you devise a brilliant scheme to expose vmufs
directory info or metadata in other "files" or "directories", as _soon_ as
that data leaves vmufs it becomes meaningless.  There is no way you can
assure that data will remain together or intact as it travels to the four
corners of the Earth.  Thus, you are back to square one and you have
incomplete file info.  You could store it as part of the file, but then you
lose compatability because that single file can't be transferred to
non-Linux-vmufs systems who won't know what to do with the extra
information (or even know that it exists).  And be realistic, copying an
entire directory tree for one file is ridiculous...

Besides that, vmufs doesn't support directories and you can get pretty
flexible with the filename (it's plain ASCII).  Whatever filenaming scheme
you enforce would also cause vmufs to force policy on the rest of the syste=
m.

M. R.